more ↠ lrh

twenty-one

"Good morning, Jay." I smiled at my fellow intern, handing him a coffee.

"Good morning." He muttered back, his voice rough with sleep.

Jay wasn't a morning person. Which is ironic because he was always here hours before I was. He always had half his case load done before I got there and he'd be done hours before I could leave. I guess the earlier you get it done, the better. 

I sat down at my desk and started looking through the case files that my father had sent me the night before, he wanted me to go through them and find ones that need help the quickest.

By the time I finished that, it was already nearing evening and Jay was already gone. I dropped off the files at his office, smiling at him before packing up my things and heading towards the Hideout. I had to get up early for a test in the morning and I hadn't even started studying yet.

I opened the door and starting going in when someone ran into me, their hot drink spilling onto my front. I gasped, falling backwards at the pain.

I caught myself, pulling the wet material from touching my skin. "Holy fuck, that's hot."

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry-"

I looked up at the person in front of me, my eyes widening at they met his blue ones. Suddenly, I was stuck to my spot, my feet glued to the ground as my eyes stayed on his. 

"Arabella, hey." He said as my mouth stayed shut.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, my words coming out harshly.

He furrowed his eyebrows and gestured down to his drink. "Mugs is shut down for the week for remodeling."

"And you had to come here?" I scoffed, groaning at the now cold liquid on my shirt.

"It's the closet to home," he said before furrowing his eyebrows. "Are you okay, Bell?"

"I'm fine," I said. "I'm fine, this is just-this is my place, okay?"

"I understand," he nodded. "Do you want me to buy you a drink?"

"No, I'm actually going home to change now," I groaned. "Bye, L-"

"Bell, wait," he reached out and grabbed my wrist. "How-uh-how are you?"

"I'll be better once I have clean clothes on." I said, pulling my wrist from his and leaving him there.

"Arabella, wait!"

I ignored him, continuing down the street and up the stairs to my apartment, already pulling my shirt over my head. 

"Do you just walk around shirtless all the time?"

I pulled my shirt all the way over my head, covering my chest with it. I saw Ashton leaning against my door, a smile on his lips.

I had been spending more time with my friends that I only knew from Luke, including Crystal, Michael, Ashton and sometimes Calum. Calum and Luke were the closest so he didn't really want to spend time with me.

"Ashton, you scared me." I chuckled, unlocking the door and pushing inside.

"I feel like I haven't been here in forever," he groaned, falling onto the couch. "Is this new?"

"My couch?" I chuckled, opening two beers and handing him one. "No, the last time you fell asleep on it, you were drunk."

As I grabbed a hoodie from the chair and pulled it over my head, he muttered, "explains that."

I moved his legs and sat down on the couch, putting them on my lap. I took a swig from the beer, sighing.

"How was your day?"

"It was alright until I ran into Luke."

Ashton sat up straight, pulling his legs off of me. "What?"

"I was going to the Hideout to get some coffee to study and he was there," I explained to him. "Mugs is shut down for the week and the H is closest to his apartment. He's going to be there a lot. He spilt his coffee all over me."

"Ironic, huh?"

I shoved him with my elbow, rolling my eyes. "I freaked out and was rude and literally ran away from him."

Ashton moved an arm around my shoulder and sighed. "It's alright, Aria."

I chuckled at his nickname, setting my head on his shoulder. "He terrifies me."

"In a 'oh my god, he's going to kill me' or 'oh my god I love this man?'"

"Neither one," I smiled, closing my eyes. "Luke just makes me..I don't know-"

"Sexually frustrated?"

I punched his arm gently, rolling my eyes. "Will you quit? No, I just-I guess I'm mad at him."

"For what?"

"For letting me go, I guess," I shrugged. "I don't know."

"Wanna watch a movie?"

I nodded and stood up. "Let me go change first."

"Why? Your outfit looks fine."

I looked down at my outfit, a skirt and an oversize hoodie covering it-Luke's hoodie. "Wow, yes,  Gucci is quaking."

He laughed before grabbing my remote and turning on Netflix to find a movie. I went into the bedroom and changed into some pajama shorts and keeping the hoodie on.

I went back into the living room, where Ashton was now sitting on the couch with a bowl of popcorn in his lap, all the nights off, and the opening scenes of a movie on the TV.

"Make yourself at home then." I chuckled, sitting beside him, pulling the blanket over my lap, grabbing a fist full of popcorn.

I snuggled into his shoulder, putting my legs across his lap. He smiled at me, patting my leg. "Make yourself at home."

I laughed and closed my eyes, not even focusing on the movie. "Night, Ash."

"Goodnight, Aria."